reboot wont

My friend is trying to reboot his computer, he is running windows 98, when we put in the 98 reboot disc all seems well until it gets past the scandisc section it then says STANDARD MODE FAULT IN MS DOS EXTENDER AND THEN SOME FAULT NUMBERS AND RAW FAULT FRAME.The computer wont go no further any help in simple terms please ta.
Russ

 

The following possible causes for the problem your friend is having are listed in the MS KB article, Windows Err Msg: Fault in MS-DOS Extender:

- HIMEM.SYS is unable to control the A20 line.
DOS=HIGH is not functioning properly (related to HIMEM.SYS control).
- The RAM, static RAM (SRAM), single in-line memory module (SIMM), or dynamic RAM (DRAM) chips are not functioning properly.
- You are running DR DOS.
- The third-party memory manager is not configured correctly.
- The EMM386.EXE NOEMS x=A000-EFFF line is missing from the Config.sys file.
- You have an old, out-of-date ROM BIOS.
- Your CMOS settings are incorrect.
- Your Windows files are old or corrupted. To test this, create a new directory on the hard drive, and install Windows in that directory.
- Your disks are corrupted.
- Your system is infected with the Form, Forms, Noint, or Yankee Doodle virus.

To narrow down the cause, what were the problems the computer was having before he tried to reinstall Windows?

 

The system kept re starting and or crashing when downloading music from kazza, he said it seemed to get worse and decided to reboot.How do i create a new directory on the hard drive?

 

I'm proceeding on the assumption that by "reboot" you mean "reinstall Windows." Does he want to wipe the harddrive clean first or just do an over-the-top install?

Will it boot into Windows now? If so, since the problem came from Kazaa usage, the most likely cause is a virus, or viruses. It may be that a complete system scan with an up-to-date anti-virus program will solve most, if not all, of the problem....or at least enough of it so he can reinstall Windows.

If it will boot and if he can get it online, there are free scans at Panda and Housecall.